Method for naming domain name system (DNS) for internet of things (IoT) device

ABSTRACT

A method for naming a Domain Name System (DNS) for an Internet of Things (IoT) device comprises the steps of: receiving a first message including a DNS search list by a device connected to a network on the basis of Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) protocol; generating, by the device, a domain name including model information and an identifier of the device; performing, by the device, a redundancy check for the domain name on the basis of a neighbor discovery (ND) protocol; and, when the domain name is not redundant, registering the domain name and IPv6 address for the device into a DNS server on the basis of a node information (NI) protocol by a domain name-collecting apparatus connected to the network.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is the U.S. National Stage filing under 35 U.S.C. 371of International Application No. PCT/KR2016/007586, filed on Jul. 13,2016, which claims the benefit under 35 USC 119(a) and 365(b) of KoreanPatent Application No. 10-2015-0101662, filed on Jul. 17, 2015, in theKorean Intellectual Property Office.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an automatic Domain Name System (DNS)naming method based on Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6).

BACKGROUND ART

Internet of Things (IoT) is the most notable Internet-related technologyin recent years. The service using IoT may basically provide a certainservice through a very large number of devices connected to theInternet.

Devices connected to the Internet need to have individual InternetProtocol (IP) addresses. In the IoT environment, typical InternetProtocol Version 4 (IPv4) has a limitation of Internet addressdepletion. As a technology for overcoming this limitation, IPv6 hasemerged. The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has establishedstandards related to IPv6.

On the other hand, DNS manages IP addresses and domain names for objectsconnected to the Internet. In a typical Internet environment, the domainname is manually set by a user.

DISCLOSURE Technical Problem

Many IoT devices are used in an IoT environment. Accordingly, settingthe domain name for each IoT device one by one is very cumbersome. Likethe multicast Domain Name System (mDNS), there is a technology forautomatically assigning a domain name. For example, there is a protocollike Bonjour developed by APPLE. However, mDNS basically generates muchtraffic on a network based on multicast, and can respond to a namingrequest message only when a device connected to the Internet is alwaysrunning (awake).

In the following description, a technology in which an IoT deviceautomatically generates a DNS name while transmitting a DNS Search List(DNSSL) option containing domain information in multicast based on aNeighbor Discovery (ND) of IPv6 is provided.

Technical Solution

In one aspect, a method for naming DNS for an IoT device includes:receiving, by a device connected to a network according to an IPv6protocol, a first message including a DNS search list; generating, bythe device, a domain name including model information and an identifierof the device; performing, by the device, a duplicate check on thedomain name according to a Neighbor Discovery (ND) protocol; andregistering, by a domain name collecting device connected to thenetwork, the domain name and an IPv6 address for the device in a DNSserver according to a protocol of a Node Information (NI) when thedomain name is not duplicated.

In another aspect, a method for naming DNS for an IoT device includes:transmitting, by a router connected to a network according to an IPv6protocol, a DNS search list to an IoT device through a RouterAdvertisement (RA) option or a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol(DHCP) option; generating, by the IoT device, a domain name includingmodel information of the IoT device, an identifier, and a domain suffixincluded in the DNS search list; and

registering, by a domain name collecting device managing the IoT device,the domain name and an IPv6 address for the device in a DNS serveraccording to a Node Information (NI) protocol.

Advantageous Effects

The technology described below transmits a message in unicast in aprocess of generating a DNS name, thereby reducing traffic. Also, in thetechnology described below, since a client device refers to nameinformation about an IoT device through a DNS server, the domain nameabout the corresponding IoT device can be confirmed even when the IoTdevice is in sleep mode. Furthermore, in the technology described below,since the domain name includes the model information and/or the locationinformation of the device, information about a specific device can beprovided by only the domain name.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a configuration of a typical DNS.

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a configuration of a DNSNA.

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a process in which an IoT device generatesa domain name in a DNSNA.

FIG. 4 is a view illustrating a process of registering a domain name foran IoT device in a DNSNA.

FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a process in which a client devicecontrols an IoT device in a DNSNA.

FIG. 6 is a view illustrating an exemplary DNS name for an IoT deviceused in the home.

FIG. 7 is a view illustrating another exemplary DNS name for an IoTdevice used in the home.

FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a smartphone displaying information aboutan IoT device located in the home.

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating a DNS name for a vehicle traveling on aroad.

FIG. 10 is a view illustrating DNS names for vehicles and fixed devicesat an intersection.

FIG. 11 is a view illustrating another exemplary DNS name for an IoTdevice used in the home.

MODE FOR INVENTION

Since the present invention can be modified into various types and canbe implemented into various embodiments, specific embodiments will beillustrated in the drawings and described in this disclosure in detail.However, the present invention is not limited to a specificimplementation type, but should be construed as including allmodifications, equivalents, and substitutes involved in the spirit andthe technical scope of the present invention.

The terms such as “a first/the first”, “a second/the second”, and “A orB” may be used to describe various components, but the components shouldnot be limited by the terms. The terms are used only in order todistinguish one component from another component. For example, a firstcomponent may be named a second component without deviating from thescope of the present invention, and similarly, the second component maybe named the first component. The term “and/or” includes a combinationof a plurality of related items or any one of a plurality of relateditems.

The terms used herein are used only to describe specific embodiments,and are not intended to limit the present invention. The singular forms“a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearlydictates otherwise. In this disclosure, the terms “include,” “comprise,”or “have” specify features, numbers, steps, operations, elements orcombinations thereof, but do not exclude existence or additionpossibility of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations,elements or combinations thereof.

Prior to describing the drawings in detail, it is to be clarified thatconstituent parts in this specification is merely divided by mainfunctions of each constituent part. That is, two or more constituentparts described below may be combined into one constituent part, or oneconstituent part may be divided into two or more constituent partsaccording to functions that are further subdivided. In addition, each ofthe constituent parts described below may additionally perform some orall of the functions of other constituent parts in addition to its ownmain functions, and some of the main functions which each constituentpart takes charge of may be fully carried out by another constituentpart.

Also, in carrying out methods or operation methods, each process forperforming the methods may be performed differently from a describedorder unless a specified order is clearly described in the context. Thatis, each process may occur in the same order as described, may beperformed at the substantially same time, or may be performed in areverse order.

The technology described below relates to a technology for automaticallygenerating and managing a DNS name. The technology described below usesan IP address based on IPv6. The technology described below uses aprotocol defined in the IPv6 standard in a process of generating andregistering a DNS name. Since the protocol defined in the IPv6 standardhas already been revealed, a detailed description of the DNSregistration process will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a configuration of a typical DNS 100. In atypical Domain Name System (DNS), a DNS server 160 corresponds to a corecomponent. In FIG. 1, a service server 110 providing a service called“www.sample.com” is shown as an example. A service provider needs toregister a domain name (DNS name) for the service server 110 in order toprovide a specific service to other users via the Internet using theservice server 110. The service provider accesses the DNS server 160through a computer device 50, and registers the domain name for its ownservice server 110. The DNS server 160, as well known, stores andmanages the domain name and an actual IP address indicated by the domainname. In FIG. 1, the DNS server 160 stores the domain name(www.sample.com) for the service server 110 and the IP address(214.11.00.124) for the service server 110. FIG. 1 shows an exampleusing IPv4. A router 150 is a component for controlling data delivery tothe DNS server 160 and the service server 110.

It is assumed that a user for receiving a service attempts to access aservice server with a domain name using a client device. The connectioncommand delivered by the client device is used to find the IP addresscorresponding to the domain name in the DNS server 160, and the clientdevice is connected to the service server 110 having the correspondingIP address.

In the typical DNS 100, the DNS server 160 stores and manages the domainname of the service server 110. However, in an IoT environment, it maybe difficult for a service provider to set the domain names for a numberof IoT devices one by one.

In a technology described below, when an IoT device (e.g., a sensor, ahome appliance, a traffic light, a vehicle, etc.) participates in anIPv6 network, a DNS name is generated based on its own deviceinformation. The unique DNS name generated as above is registered intothe DNS server for the IoT device. That is, the DNS automaticallygenerates and registers DNS names for IoT devices without administratoror user intervention. Thereafter, client devices (PC, smartphone, tabletPC, etc.) used by a user may acquire the domain name for the IoT devicethrough the DNS server, and may access the IoT device. Unlike a typicalDNS, the technology described below is referred to as DNS NameAutoconfiguration (DNSNA) in the sense of automatically setting a domainname.

The DNSNA registers and manages the unique name of the IoT device usingthe DNS server to manage the IoT device. When an IoT device enters anIPv6 network, the IoT device generates a unique DNS name on a currentIPv6 network based on its own device information. The DNS serverregisters the generated DNS name.

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a configuration of a DNSNA 200. FIG. 2shows an example of a refrigerator used at home as an IoT device 210.Since the IoT device generally performs wireless communication, FIG. 2shows a form in which the IoT device 210 is connected to a networkthrough an Access Point (AP) 230 in the home. A router 250 controls datapackets transmitted to a DNS server 260 and the IoT device 210 as shownin FIG. 1.

When the IoT device 210 first accesses the network or when there is acertain request, the IoT device 210 directly generates a DNS name. InFIG. 2, the IoT device 210 generates a DNS name“refrigerator1.samsung_RH269LP.refrigerator.home”. The process ofgenerating the DNS name by the IoT device and the meaning of the DNSname will be described later. The DNS name generated by the IoT device210 is stored in the DNS server 260. The DNS server 260 stores a DNSname delivered by the IoT device 210 and an IP address indicated by thecorresponding DNS name. In FIG. 2, the IP address is an addressaccording to IPv6. As shown in FIG. 2, an IP address according to IPv6has total eight segments separated by colons, and each segment isrepresented in 16 bits. IPv6 uses 128 bits to represent the IP address.

The client device 80 may acquire the DNS name for the IoT device 210from the DNS server 260, and access the IoT device 210. Then, a user maycheck the status of a refrigerator through the client device 80 orcontrol the refrigerator.

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a process in which an IoT device generatesa domain name in the DNSNA 200.

The IoT device 210 receives a DNS Search List (DNSSL) option through therouter 250 (

). The DNSSL is a list of DNS domain suffixes which the IoT device usesin the process of registering domain names. The DNSSL may include aplurality of DNS suffixes. The DNSSL option is delivered through aDynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) option or a RouterAdvertisement (RA) option according to the IPv6 standard. The RA optionaccording to the IPv6 standard delivers the DNSSL information to theIPv6 host (IoT device). The DHCP option also delivers the DNSSLinformation to the IPv6 host (IoT device).

The IoT device 210, which is an IPv6 host, may check whether or not thereceived DNSSL option is valid. If the DNSSL option is valid, the IoTdevice 210 generates its own DNS name (

). The IoT device 210 has model information such as a model nameassigned in the production process. The IoT device 210 may generate aDNS name using the model information. The IoT device 210 may beautomatically configured by combining the device information (e.g.,device category, vendor name, and model name) of the IoT device 210 withthe DNS domain suffixes. Furthermore, the IoT device 210 may combine theunique identifier (unique_id) with the device information for the DNSname. In FIG. 3, “refrigerator1” of the DNS name is a unique identifierfor distinguishing devices of the same model. “samsung_RH269LP” of theDNS name is a model name that contains the manufacturer name.“refrigerator” of the DNS name is a model category. “home” of the DNSname corresponds to the DNS domain suffix.

The IoT device 210 may check whether or not the generated DNS name is aunique DNS name in a domain name (subnet). The IoT device 210 mayperform a duplicate check on the domain names according to a NeighborDiscovery (ND) protocol (

). The IoT device 210 may perform Duplicate Address Detection (DAD) withan IPv6 multicast address.

The IPv6 multicast address of the DNS name uses the link-local multicastaddress prefix ff02 ::/16 for the upper 64 bits corresponding to thenetwork prefix, and takes the upper 64 bits including the MostSignificant Bit (MSB) among 128 bits that is a hashing value withrespect to the DNS name for the lower 64 bits corresponding to thenetwork interface ID. The IoT device 210 performs a DAD process usingthe hashing value corresponding to the DNS name according to a NeighborDiscovery (ND) protocol.

When the domain name is duplicated, the IoT device 210 generates a newdomain name in which the unique identifier of the device is changed to anew identifier, and performs a duplicate check on the new domain name.The domain name generation process is finished only when the IoT device210 confirms that an un-duplicated domain name is generated in thedomain name.

If there are a plurality of DNS domain suffixes in the DNSSL, the IoTdevice 210 repeats the domain name generation process for each DNSdomain suffix.

FIG. 4 is a view illustrating a process of registering a domain name foran IoT device in the DNSNA 200. It is assumed that the DNS namegenerated by the IoT device 210 is not duplicated.

A domain name collecting device connected to a network queries the IoTdevice 210 about a domain name, and stores the domain name of the IoTdevice 210 received in response in the DNS server 260. The domain namecollecting device controls the process for registering the domain nameof the IoT device 210 during the network configuration. In general, thedomain name collecting device may be a device that manages the domainname of the IoT device 210. In FIG. 4, the router 250 collects thedomain name for the IoT device 210.

The router 250 first requests a DNS name from the IoT device 210. Therouter 250 queries the IoT device 210 about the DNS name using a NodeInformation (NI) protocol (NI query,

). This process requires a new NI query in a typical NI protocol. Thatis, a new code for the NI type needs to be defined. The IoT device 210delivers the DNS name of the IoT device 210 in response to the NI query(NI reply,

).

On the other hand, the NI query may be delivered in multicast to the IoTdevices which are in the same domain name. In this case, it is desirablethat a plurality of IoT devices in the domain name perform NI reply atdifferent times. Accordingly, each of the plurality of IoT devices maytransmit the NI reply at a randomly delayed time.

The router 250 transmits the DNS name of the IoT device 210 received viathe NI reply to the DNS server 260, and the DNS server 260 stores theDNS name of the IoT device 210 (

). In some cases, there may be an IoT device whose domain name alreadyexists in the DNS server 260. As described later, since the domain nameof the IoT device may include location information, the domain name mayalso be changed when the IoT device moves. Accordingly, in this case,the DNS server 260 updates the DNS name of the IoT device into a newlyreceived DNS name. The router 250 collects an IP address of the IPv6together with the domain name of the IoT device 210, and together storesthe IP address in the DNS server 260.

FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a process in which a client devicecontrols an IoT device in the DNSNA 200. It is assumed in FIG. 5 thatthe DNS name of the IoT device 210 is stored in the DNS server 260 likeFIG. 4.

A user may check information about the IoT device 210 or control the IoTdevice 210 through a client device 80 such as a smartphone. The clientdevice 80 accesses the DNS server 260 to acquire the DNS name of the IoTdevice 210 existing in the network (

). Although only one IoT device 210 is shown in FIG. 5, there may be aplurality of IoT devices in the network. In this case, the client device80 may acquire DNS names for the plurality of IoT devices existing inthe network from the DNS server 260. The client device 80 may access theIoT device 210 using the acquired DNS name. Then, the client device 80may check the information of a refrigerator that is the IoT device 210,or may control the operation of the refrigerator.

The DNS name may include at least one of the model name of the IoTdevice, a model category indicating the type of the IoT device,different device identifiers for each IoT device having the same modelname, and a network domain (domain suffix) of the IoT device. The DNSname is characterized by having information (model information) relatedto the model of the IoT device.

FIG. 6 is a view illustrating an exemplary DNS name for an IoT deviceused in the home. In FIG. 6, the DNS name may include the domain nameand the product type (category) of the IoT device. FIG. 6 shows anexample in which the DNS name includes information corresponding to themodel category among the model information of the IoT device. In FIG. 6,“home” is a domain suffix, and the information located in front of thedomain suffix corresponds to the model category. In FIG. 6, the DNSnames “tv.home” for a TV, “refrigerator.home” for a refrigerator,“washer.home” for a washing machine, “fan.home” for a ventilation fan,“heater.home” for a heater that is a heating apparatus, “computer.home”for a computer, “phone.home” for a telephone, and “scale.home” for ascale are used.

The DNS name may further include a model category. In this case, the DNSname may provide information about the IoT device. When a user accessesthe DNS server through his/her smartphone and acquires the DNS name, asshown in FIG. 6, the smartphone may display what kind of IoT deviceexists in the home based on the DNS name according to a predefinedregulation.

The DNS name may have a form shown in Table 1 below.

TABLE 1 unique_id.device_model.device_category.domain_name

domain_name means the DNS suffix of the network domain of the IoTdevice. unique_id means a different unique identifier for the same modelthat exists in the same domain suffix. device_model refers to the modelname provided by a manufacturer or vendor of the IoT device. The modelname may include the name of the manufacturer that produces the product.device_category represents the model category of the IoT device.Naturally, the order of the elements that constitute the DNS name may bedifferent from that of Table 1. The model name and model categorycorrespond to information previously stored in the IoT device. Theunique identifier is information generated by the IoT device in theprocess of generating the DNS name. The DNS suffix is informationincluded in and delivered by the DNSSL.

For example, in FIG. 3, the IoT device 210 generates a DNS name called“refrigerator1.samsung_RH269LP.refrigerator.home”. As already described,“refrigerator1” is a unique identifier for distinguishing devices of thesame model, and “samsung_RH269LP” is a model name including amanufacturer name. In addition, “refrigerator” is a model category, and“home” is a DNS domain suffix.

On the other hand, when the number of IoT devices is large, it may bedifficult to distinguish IoT devices only by the model information. Inthis case, the DNS name may further include the location information ofthe IoT device. The location information included in the DNS name mayprovide new information. An example of the DNS name including locationinformation is shown in Table 2 below.

TABLE 2 unique_id.device_model.device_category.location ofdevice.domam_name

The DNS name in Table 2 further includes location_of_device in additionto the DNS name in Table 1. location_of_device means the locationinformation of the IoT device. The location information is assumed to beacquired in advance by the IoT device.

The location information may be collected in various ways as follows.(1) If the IoT device has a position tracking device such as a GlobalPositioning System (GPS) sensor, absolute coordinate information such asGPS coordinates may be used. When satellite signals like GPS coordinateinformation are used, an IoT device usually disposed outdoors mayacquire coordinates. Alternatively, when there is a system that findsthe location indoors using an indoor communication signal (e.g., WI-FI),the IoT device may also acquire indoor location information.

(2) When the IoT device is equipped with an acceleration sensor, ageomagnetic sensor, or the like, the IoT device may generate relativelocation information with respect to a point where the IoT device ismoved and located based on a specific reference point. For example, anIoT device disposed in the home may know a location where the IoT devicestarts to move from a reference position such as a door and then isdisposed, on the premise that the IoT device knows the structure of thehouse in advance.

(3) Assuming that there is another IoT device that already holds certainlocation information in a specific area, the IoT device may know thatthere is a specific IoT device at a communicable distance throughwireless communication. Accordingly, the IoT device may approximatelyestimate the location of the IoT device by referring to the locationinformation of the other device around the IoT device. In addition, ifthere are three or more devices having a plurality of locationinformation at a communicable distance, the IoT device may relativelyaccurately know the location of the IoT device among the surroundingdevices, using the intensity of the signals that are mutually exchanged.

(4) A separate device for acquiring location information for the IoTdevice may also be used. For example, a user may transmit locationinformation of the IoT device to IoT devices disposed nearby using adevice capable of finding the location outdoors or indoors.

FIG. 7 is a view illustrating another exemplary DNS name for an IoTdevice used in the home. FIG. 7 shows an example in which the IoT deviceused in the home generates the DNS name using the model information andthe location information.

In FIG. 7, each area (living room, kitchen, bedroom, etc.) in the homeare expressed as alphabets (A, B, C, D, E, and F). The DNS names of theIoT devices in each area are shown in Table 3 below.

TABLE 3 Area IoT Device DNS Nave A Air conditionerair_conditioner1.samsung_AC64.air conditioner.bed_room1.home B Smart TVsmart_tv1.samsung_HG32N.smart_tv.living_room.home C Air conditionerair_conditioner2.samsung_AC64.air conditioner.bed_room2.home D Airconditioner air_conditioner3.samsung_AC64.air conditioner.bed_room3.homeE Refrigerator refrigerator1.samsung.refrigerator.home F Washerwasher.home

The DNS name of the washing machine in the area denoted by F includesthe model category and domain suffix. The DNS name of the refrigeratorin the area denoted by E includes the unique identifier, model nameshown only by manufacturer, model category, and domain suffix. The DNSname of the smart TV in the area denoted by B includes the uniqueidentifier, model name, model category, location information (livingroom) and domain suffix.

The DNS names of the air conditioners in the bedrooms denoted by A, Cand D each have the unique identifier, model name, model category,location information and domain suffix. The air conditioners in thebedrooms denoted by A, C and D have the same model name. Accordingly,the unique identifiers are air_conditioner1, air_conditioner2, andair_conditioner3, respectively, which are different from each other.Also, the location information of air conditioners is bed_room1,bed_room2 and bed_room3, respectively. When the IoT device is used in arelatively small area as shown in FIG. 7, it may be possible todistinguish the IoT devices from each other only by using the locationinformation without using the unique identifier.

A user may check the status of the IoT device, and may also control eachIoT device. In FIG. 7, a user may access an IoT device disposed in thehome through the Internet using an AP in the home. Alternatively, a usermay directly access an IoT device through local area network via an APin the home.

FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a smartphone displaying information aboutan IoT device located in the home. FIG. 8 is a view illustrating ascreen in which a user of FIG. 7 checks the IoT device disposed in thehome through the smartphone. Smart TVs and air conditioners withlocation information in their DNS names are accurately marked with iconscorresponding to each IoT device at their disposed locations. This isbecause the user's client device (smartphone) acquires the DNS name fromthe DNS server and extracts the location information of each IoT devicefrom the DNS name. However, the refrigerator and washing machine, whichdo not have the location information in the DNS name, cannot know theaccurate locations, and thus are displayed with a question mark (?) inthe dotted line area of the center.

When a user selects the air conditioner in the bedroom 3, a menu asshown in the bottom of FIG. 8 may be displayed on the screen. Thesmartphone may output rough information about the selected IoT device(air conditioner) as shown in the bottom of FIG. 8, and may output amenu for controlling the air conditioner. Then, a user may control theair conditioner via the control menu. For example, (1) the power may beturned on/off (On/Off), (2) the operation time may be set (Timer), and(3) the status may also be checked.

Although not shown separately, the IoT device may be used in a hugespace such as a shopping mall and a warehouse, as well as a home. Forexample, it is assumed that each article stored in the warehouse isequipped with a sensor device (IoT device) indicating its owninformation. In this case, when an administrator acquires the DNS nameof each IoT device, the administrator can acquire the locationinformation of the IoT device. In addition, assuming that a productplaced in a store such as a shopping mall is attached with a sensordevice (IoT device) indicating the information of the product, ashopping mall customer may easily know which floor and section his/herdesired product is displayed in the shopping mall through his/hersmartphone. This is because the DNS name includes the model informationand location information. That is, although the model information andthe location information are not managed in a server, when the clientdevice acquires the DNS name from the DNS server of the IPv6, specificinformation may be provided to the user.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show an example of acquiring the information on vehiclesand a traffic control device in a road. A traffic control surveillancecenter may use the information on vehicles for traffic management. Also,an intelligent vehicle system may use the information on vehicles forthe autonomous driving of the vehicles.

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating a DNS name for a vehicle traveling on aroad. FIG. 9 shows a vehicle (Car 1) traveling on the road and a speedcamera (Camera 1). FIG. 9 is a view illustrating a process of generatinga DNS name of an IoT device. Car 1 is equipped with a devicecorresponding to the IoT device. Camera 1 is equipped with a device thatcan communicate with vehicles. Camera 1 may also act as a router.Naturally, a speed camera usually may recognize a vehicle license plateto identify a vehicle, but may also use other information than imageidentification.

When Car 1 moves on the road, Camera 1 may measure the speed of Car 1,and simultaneously, may query Car 1 about the DNS name. Camera 1delivers a DNSSL option to Car 1, and Car 1 creates its own DNS name.

The DNS name generated by Car 1 is “car1.benz_GLK.car_suv.road”. Here,the DNS name includes a unique identifier (car1), a model name(benz_GLK), a model category (car_suv), and a domain suffix (road). Ifthe DNS name generated by Car 1 is not duplicated, Camera 1 mayimmediately register the DNS name for Car 1 into the DNS server.Alternatively, as described above, Camera 1 may acquire the DNS name ofCar 1 through NI query, and then may register the DNS name of Car 1 intothe DNS server.

The client device may manage the vehicle using the DNS name of thevehicle stored in the DNS server, and may generate statisticalinformation about a specific type of vehicle.

FIG. 10 is a view illustrating DNS names for vehicles and fixed devicesat an intersection. In FIG. 10, vehicles moving at the intersection andtraffic apparatuses arranged around the intersection all correspond tothe IoT devices. In FIG. 10, it is assumed that the DNS names of the IoTdevices existing at the intersection are already registered into the DNSserver. In FIG. 10, the area divided by the intersection is representedby Segment 1, Segment 2, Segment 3 and Segment 4 in the counterclockwisedirection from the lower end part.

RSU is an AP device installed on the road for vehicle communication(VANET), and Traffic Lights are traffic lights disposed at theintersection. Also, Detectors are sensor devices for acquiringinformation about moving vehicles. Controller is a device thatrepresents and controls information about vehicles and traffic devicescurrently located at the intersection. It is assumed that the vehiclesand the traffic devices disposed at the intersection are basicallyconnected to a network through the AP.

In FIG. 10, four vehicles (Car 1, Car2, Car3 and Car4) are shown. InFIG. 10, the location information for each vehicle is represented by X,Y, and Z. The RSU may request the DNS name for the IoT device located atthe intersection. On the other hand, the RSU itself corresponds to anIoT device. At the intersection, the Detector may request a DNS namefrom a moving vehicle. The DNS names for each IoT device shown in FIG.10 are shown in Table 4 below.

TABLE 4 IoT Device DNS Name RSU1 rsu1.cisco_xz43.rsu.road_segment3.roadTraffic traffic_light1.gov_TL32.traffic light.road_segment1.road Light1Traffic traffic_light2.gov_TL32.traffic light.road_segment2.road Light2Detector1 detector1.gov_LD51.loop_detector.road_segment1.road Detector2detector2.gov_LD51.loop_detector.road_segment2.road Car1car1.jeep_wrangler.car_suv.x1y1z1.road Car2car2.audi_a435.car_sedan.x2y2z2.road Car3car3.lexus_es300h.car_sedan.x3y3z3.road Car4car4.bmw_x5.car_suv.x4y4z4.road

The DNS names of the IoT devices in FIG. 10 all include uniqueidentifiers, model names, model categories, location information, anddomain suffixes. When explaining RSU1 as an example, rust is the uniqueidentifier, cisco_xz43 is the model name, rsu is the model category,road_segment3 is the location information, and road is the domainsuffix.

At the intersection, the Detector may recognize a moving vehicle, andmay request the DNS name for the vehicle. In FIG. 10, the locationinformation is also used in the DNS name of a vehicle. Accordingly, whena vehicle moves, the DNS name of the vehicle may be changed. It isassumed that the coordinate information of a vehicle measured throughthe GPS device is used as the location information of the vehicle. Forexample, Detector1 may send a DNSSL option to Car 1, and Car 1 maygenerate a DNS name including a current location (X1, Y1, Z1) andperform a duplicate check on the generated DNS name. Then, Detector1 orRUS1 may update the DNS name of Car 1 to the DNS server. Detector2 mayalso request to generate a DNS name for Car2.

It is assumed that a traffic apparatus fixedly arranged at anintersection knows its own location information while being arranged.Accordingly, the DNS name of the RSU 1 includes the location informationreferred to as road_segment 3, the Traffic Light 1 includes the locationinformation referred to as the road_segment 1, and the Traffic Light 2includes the location information referred to as the road_segment 2.Detector 1 includes location information referred to as road_segment 1,and Detector 2 includes location information referred to as road_segment2.

An administrator may check the current status information of theintersection with the controller placed at the intersection or withhis/her smartphone. In this case, the type and arrangement of each IoTdevice at the intersection may be displayed on the screen of thesmartphone or the controller using the information included in the DNSnames of each IoT device. The administrator may control the trafficlights (Traffic Light 1 and Traffic Light 2) of the intersection usingthe controller or smartphone. Since the administrator is provided withthe location information of the traffic lights, the administrator mayintuitively identify the traffic light (traffic light 1 or traffic light2) that the administrator needs to control. In addition, since vehicleslocated at the intersection may also be identified by the controller orsmartphone, the administrator may appropriately control the trafficlights, taking traffic flow into account.

On the other hand, the IoT device may uniformly move. For example, theIoT devices such as vehicles described in FIG. 10, sensor devicescarried by users, smartphones carried by users, robots moving inbuildings may move uniformly move. When the IoT device moves, the domainname itself to which the IoT device belongs may be changed. In thiscase, when the IoT device moves and reaches an area having a new domainname (domain suffix), a new DNS name may be generated.

When an IoT device receives an RA option including a new domain name asthe IoT device moves, the IoT device may use DNS dynamic update (RFC2136) to delete the old DNS name from the DNS server. For a specific IoTdevice, since at least one DNS name needs to exist in the DNA server, itis desirable that the IoT device does not delete the default DNS name inthe home network of mobile IPv6.

In all of the above-mentioned processes, various methods for maintainingsecurity may be used for message delivery. For example, the contentrelated to the security issue of the NI protocol defined in RFC 4620“Security Considerations” may be applied. For example, in order toprevent personal information leakage, the location-related informationmay be encrypted using a shared key or a public key. For example, theDNS name referred to as smartphone1.living_room.home may be encryptedlike smartphone1.xxx.home. xxx is an encrypted string for living_room.

The DNS names described above include the model name or model categoryof the device. Instead of the model name, the DNS name may include otherinformation for specifying the device. For example, the DNS name mayinclude object_identifier instead of the model name or model category asshown in Table 5 below. ISO/IEC that is the International Organizationfor Standardization enacts ISO/IEC 9834-1: 2012 standard, andobject_identifier is information proposed to be used to identify objectsby oneM2M that is a de-facto group for object communication. Theobject_identifier includes an M2M node indication ID, a manufacturer ID,a model ID, and a serial number ID. The M2M node ID includes anidentifier for a subject (e.g., country, organization, etc.) thatmanages the M2M node. The object_identifier includes a manufactureridentifier, a model identifier, and serial information about theproduct. Finally, the object_identifier also include the modelinformation for the IoT device.

TABLE 5 unique_id.object_identifier.domain_name

unique_id means different unique identifiers for the same models thatexist in the same domain suffix. domain_name means a DNS suffix of anetwork domain which the IoT device has. Naturally, the order of theelements constituting the DNS name may be different from that of inTable 1.

Furthermore, the DNS name may further include the location informationof the IoT device in addition to the object_identifier as shown in Table6 below.

TABLE 6 unique_id.object_identifier.location of device.domain_name

The DNS name of Table 6 further includes location_of_device added to theDNS name of Table 5. location_of_device means the location informationof the IoT device. The location information is assumed to be acquired inadvance by the IoT device.

FIG. 11 is a view illustrating another exemplary DNS name for an IoTdevice used in the home. FIG. 11 shows an example in which an IoT deviceused in the home generates a DNS name using object_identifier andlocation information. FIG. 11 shows rooms (living room, kitchen,bedroom, etc.) in the home, which are denoted by the alphabet (A, B, C,D, E, and F), respectively. The DNS names of the IoT devices in eachroom are shown in Table 7 below.

TABLE 7 Area IoT Device DNS Nave A Airair_conditioner1.object_identifier2.bed_room1.home conditioner B SmartTV smart_tv1.object_identifier1.living_room.home C Airair_conditioner2.object_identifier3.bed_room2.home conditioner D Airair_conditioner3.object_identifier4.bed_room3.home conditioner ERefrigerator refrigerator1.object_identifier5.kitchen.home F Washerwasher1.object_identifier6.laundry_room.home

The DNS names of the air conditioners in the bedroom denoted by A, C,and D each include a unique identifier, object_identifier, locationinformation, and domain suffix (home). The air conditioners in thebedrooms denoted by A, C and D have the same model name. Accordingly,the unique identifiers are air_conditioner1, air_conditioner2, andair_conditioner3, respectively, which are different from each other.Also, the location information of air conditioners is bed_room1,bed_room2 and bed_room3, respectively. When the IoT device is used in arelatively small area as shown in FIG. 7, it may be possible todistinguish the IoT devices from each other only by using the locationinformation without using the unique identifier.

The DNS name of the smart TV in the area denoted by B includes a uniqueidentifier (smart_tv1), object_identifier, location information(living_room), and a domain suffix (home). The DNS name of therefrigerator in the area denoted by E includes a unique identifier(refrigerator1), an object_identifier, location information (livingroom), and a domain suffix (home). The DNS name of the washing machinein the area denoted by F includes a unique identifier (washer1), anobject_identifier, location information (laundry_room) and a domainsuffix (home).

A user may check the status of the IoT device, and may control each IoTdevice. In FIG. 11, a user may access the IoT device disposed in thehome through the Internet using an AP in the home. Alternatively, a usermay directly access an IoT device through local area network via an APin the home.

It should be noted that the embodiments and the accompanying drawingsmerely clarify only a part of the technical spirit included in theabove-described technology, and it is obvious that variations andspecific embodiments readily deduced by those skilled in the art withinthe technical spirit included in the specification and drawings are allincluded in the scope of the right of the above-described technology.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for naming a Domain Name System(DNS) for an Internet of Things (IoT) device, the method comprising:receiving, by a device connected to a network according to an InternetProtocol Version 6 (IPv6) protocol, a first message including a DNSsearch list including a DNS domain suffix; generating, by the device, adomain name including model information of the device and an identifier;performing, by the device, a duplicate check on the domain nameaccording to a Neighbor Discovery (ND) protocol; generating, by thedevice, a new domain name including a new identifier that is changedfrom the identifier when the domain name is duplicated; and registering,by a domain name collecting device connected to the network, the domainname and an IPv6 address for the device in a DNS server according to aNode Information (NI) protocol when the domain name is not duplicated,wherein the identifier includes a word identifying a kind of the deviceand at least one character, and wherein the at least one character isunique among corresponding characters of identifiers of other devices ofa same model that exist in a same domain suffix.
 2. The method of claim1, wherein the receiving of the first message comprises receiving, bythe device, the first message through a Router Advertisement (RA) optionor a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) option according to anIPv6 standard.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the domain namecollecting device or a router connected to the network transmits thefirst message to the device according to the RA option or the DHCPoption.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the domain name furtherincludes any one or any combination of any two or more of an objectidentifier, a model name, a model category indicating a type of thedevice, and a network domain of the device.
 5. The method of claim 1,wherein the model information includes any one or any combination of anytwo or more of a model name of the device, a producer or a seller of thedevice, and a model category indicating a type of the device.
 6. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the domain name includes any one or anycombination of any two or more of an object identifier, a model name, amodel category indicating a type of the device, and the DNS domainsuffix.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing aduplicate check on the new domain name.
 8. The method of claim 1,wherein the domain name further includes location information for thedevice.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the location informationincludes geographical coordinate information of a location where thedevice is located.
 10. The method of claim 8, wherein the locationinformation includes relative location information with respect toanother device.
 11. The method of claim 8, wherein the locationinformation includes relative location information measured using asensor device measuring a location moving at a reference point.
 12. Themethod of claim 11, wherein the device receives the relative locationinformation measured from the sensor device.
 13. The method of claim 8,wherein the location information is inputted into the device through auser terminal connected to the network.
 14. The method of claim 1,wherein the registering of the domain name comprises: transmitting, bythe domain name collecting device, an NI query to the device;transmitting, by the device, the domain name to the domain namecollecting device; and transmitting, by the domain name collectingdevice, the received domain name to the DNS server.
 15. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising obtaining, by a client device connected tothe network, the domain name for the device from the DNS server andmonitoring or controlling the device using the domain name.
 16. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the device generates another domain namehaving a new domain suffix when moving into an area corresponding to thenew domain suffix.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the moving intothe area comprises the device moving from a first room to a second room,and the second room is the area.
 18. The method of claim 1, wherein anNI query is delivered in multicast to the device and to other devices ina same domain name, and each of the device and the other devices in thesame domain name transmit an NI reply at a randomly delayed time.
 19. Amethod for naming a Domain Name System (DNS) for an Internet of Things(IoT) device, the method comprising: transmitting, by a router connectedto a network according to an Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6)protocol, a DNS search list including a DNS domain suffix to the IoTdevice through a Router Advertisement (RA) option or a Dynamic HostConfiguration Protocol (DHCP) option; generating, by the IoT device, adomain name including model information of the IoT device and anidentifier; generating, by the IoT device, a new domain name including anew identifier that is changed from the identifier when the domain nameis duplicated; and registering, by a domain name collecting devicemanaging the IoT device, the domain name and an IPv6 address for the IoTdevice into a DNS server according to a Node Information (NI) protocolwhen the domain name is not duplicated, wherein the identifier includesa word identifying a kind of the IoT device and at least one character,and wherein the at least one character is unique among correspondingcharacters of identifiers of other devices of a same model that exist ina same domain suffix.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the modelinformation includes any one or any combination of any two or more of amodel name of the IoT device, a producer or seller of the IoT device,and a model category indicating a type of the IoT device.
 21. The methodof claim 19, wherein the domain name further includes locationinformation for the IoT device.
 22. The method of claim 19, wherein theIoT device generates another domain name having a new domain suffix whenmoving into an area corresponding to the new domain suffix.